The Playhouse

Drama Club of the Department of English

The Playhouse functions as the theatre and performance wing of the Department of English, creating a vibrant space for students to explore drama, storytelling, creativity and artistic expression.

Envisioned as a platform where literature comes alive through performance, the initiative encourages students to engage with theatre not merely as entertainment, but as a mode of learning, reflection and cultural engagement.

About The Playhouse

The Playhouse nurtures students’ interest in dramatic arts through performances, adaptations, theatre appreciation sessions and collaborative cultural activities. By combining literary study with performance, the initiative enables learners to engage more deeply with texts, emotions, identities and social realities.

Through adaptations, student productions and collaborative performances, The Playhouse introduces learners to dramatic literature while helping them engage critically with themes of identity, society, culture and human relationships. The initiative encourages experimentation with theatre as both an artistic and pedagogic medium.

What We Do

Stage Performances

Plays, dramatic readings and theatre productions.

Theatre Appreciation

Exposure to dramatic traditions, performance styles and stagecraft.

Creative Expression

Opportunities for acting, script interpretation and performance.

Collaborative Learning

Building confidence, teamwork and communication through theatre.

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Student Productions & Theatre Engagements

The Playhouse has consistently encouraged students to engage with theatre through dramatic adaptations, performances and experimental storytelling. Over the years, learners have actively participated in productions exploring mythology, identity, gender, freedom and human relationships.

Hayavadhana

Students staged Girish Karnad’s Hayavadhana, engaging with themes of identity, incompleteness and the fragmented self through performance. The production introduced learners to Indian theatre traditions and dramatic experimentation.

The Doll’s House

A student production of Henrik Ibsen’s The Doll’s House enabled learners to critically explore themes of patriarchy, individuality and women’s agency while bringing a canonical dramatic text to life on stage.

The Quest

Inspired by Kate Chopin’s The Awakening, The Quest was conceptualised as a creative student adaptation reflecting on freedom, identity, selfhood and personal transformation through dramatic expression.

Hosted Theatre Experiences

Hattamalaykkappuram (2026)

As part of its efforts to expose students to contemporary theatre and performance traditions, The Playhouse hosted a staging of Hattamalaykkappuram, an adaptation of a play by Badal Sircar, on 20 February 2026.

The performance, presented by Space of Act and directed by Ajithalal Sivalal, introduced students to modern dramatic expression, theatrical adaptation and performance aesthetics, enriching their understanding of contemporary theatre practices.

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Why Theatre Matters

Theatre encourages learners to think critically, collaborate meaningfully and communicate effectively. At The Playhouse, dramatic performance becomes a powerful pedagogic tool that enables students to interpret texts, explore identities and engage with social realities in creative ways.

By participating in theatre-related activities, students develop confidence, public speaking skills, empathy and artistic sensibility — qualities that complement both academic and personal growth.